


Hybrids

by Oksanna_Mallman



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F, Other, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:08:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27663842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oksanna_Mallman/pseuds/Oksanna_Mallman
Summary: Katie is a freak, well, that's what most people think. All because she's a foster. The only person who doesn't think that, is Lily. Lily is her best friend, since forever. They live in Monument. One day, in an attempt to escape Katie's abusive, alcoholic foster dad, they break into the creepy science building that's been closed since the dawn of the dinosaurs and discover....a door? Problem is, the place is filled to the absolute brim with mutant zombie scientists. The only way out is a door, that's locked, Or so they think. Or death. Let's find out what's behind door number creepy.
Kudos: 9





	1. House up High

The town of Monument was the last place you wanted to find yourself, really. It was decrepit, run-down, a total shit-hole, ever since the center of the town got bombed. Yep, that's right folks, the shitty, piss pot that is my home, was bombed. Apparently, some government suits thought the place was going to hell, so they dropped a bunch of explosives, and bombed us to hell instead of just letting us get there on our own. Sick, right? Hi, I'm Katie. Just Katie. I don't even know my last name...well, I do, it's Taylor, but I'm a foster, so it's not my original surname. You know, sometimes I sit and daydream about the people who birthed me. It takes me away from Judd and Nancy, they're my foster parents and as far as foster parents are concerned, they'd get horrible Yelp reviews. Judd is a raging dickhead, with a "minor drinking issue" and Nancy, well, Nancy's hardly ever conscious enough to acknowledge me anyway. But, "they're prescription, honey." God, kill me. Lily is the only person on this earth, in this hell hole, I want to hang out with anyway, and I do frequently. I practically live at her house. Not like Judd and Nancy give a rat's ass, if I'm home or not, alive or not. 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

My head pulsed uncomfortably as I rapped my fist against the piece of plywood that served as a door. I traced my fingers lightly across the bruise that was beginning to form on my eye. Ow, fuck. Stupid Judd and his stupid temper. The plywood shifted and I was met with the face of my best friend, Lily. She grinned, but stopped quickly when she saw my expression.

"Jesus K, nice shiner." She grimaced, but stepped back, as I entered the house. I sighed, my frustration easing slightly. She slid the plywood back into place and turned to me.

"Are you ever gonna get a door?" I asked, it coming snappier than I had intended. She rolled her eyes, shoving past me, and pulling open the mini fridge. She removed a bag of ice and tossed it to me. I caught it and gingerly pressed it to my eye. Lily stepped out of the plywood door and off to one side, pulling the ladder that touched the forest floor up, and laid it to the left of the front door.

"Are you ever gonna leave that blackhole?" She asked as she stepped back inside. I shrugged. We had been friends since we were kids, like 8. We were 15 now. I met Lily on the street, while I was at foster home #3. She had been homeless the entire time I'd known her, but she didn't seem to care. The house we stood in now, she built. It was a treehouse, that was built as high up in a massive poplar, as she could get it. Nobody paid it any mind. The light from a single lantern danced across the walls, as I sank into a futon. 

"It's not that easy, and you know it, L." She sighed, lowering herself to the floor and sitting cross-legged in front of me. 

"But it could be. Dude, we could run away." She offered, looking at me with the glint of rebellion in her eyes. She'd been saying that since we were 10. I huffed, ginning. I pulled the ice away from my eye.

"Run away, to where? Purgatory? Please, that place is worse than Monument, haunted and shit." We'd heard all the stories about the town that was closest to us, Purgatory. Apparently, the story went that the town was over run by demons. 130 years ago, some asshole name Clootie was sheriff, and got offed by some guy name Earp, well apparently Baldy McAsshole, cursed the poor bastard before he was stuck in the ground for eternity so that his descendants would have to fight these things called revenants, over and over for ever. I used to think they were just ghost stories that Judd would tell to keep me in line, but as I got older, I realized it was totally possible. I mean, look what happed to Monument, Purgatory was probably the same. A silence fell as I tipped my head back and closed my eyes. Fuck, I was tired. Lily stood, walking back and forth in the house, the vibrations from her feet soothed my aching head and I slipped into a calm peace. 

A loud bang caused me to snap upright on the futon. Lily sat up next to me. 

"The fuck?" I murmured. She crouched, pulling a green bow from under the futon and nocking an arrow. I crawled to the window pressing my back to it. She assumed a snipers position, and peeked over the wall, out the window. Suddenly, she fired the bow. A pause.

"What the fuck, you little bitches!" Fuck, it was Judd. I smacked her arm. She looked at me, shrugging.

"Great, you just gave him perfect ammo to give me a matching set!" I hissed, pointing to the eye that wasn't black. She looked at me, her eyes glowing with something more than her usual mischief. They glowed with opportunity.

"Did you bring your backpack?" She asked. I shook my head.

"Why?" I asked. Another loud bang. I winced. Those were gunshots. Luckily, Judd couldn't hit the broad side of barn, if he was pressed up against it. Lily crab walked to the other side of the house and grabbed her quiver. She crawled back to my side of the house, and slipped the quiver across her body. Judd didn't know where her shots were coming from, he was so drunk. She quickly popped up, and let fly three arrows in quick succession, then dropped back down. 

"Why?" I asked again. She looked at me.

"I'll tell you when we are ready." She said. I was thoroughly confused. 

We traded shots with Judd until Lily ran out of arrows. I stood, lifting the board, that we coved the windows with at night, and fitted it into the sill. She did the same on the other side. Judd's shots had gotten less and less, we hadn't heard one in about 20 minutes. After the windows were covered, I looked at Lily. 

"You're sure he doesn't know were up here?" She nodded.

"Absolutely, as far as he's concerned, he's being hunted by some phantom with a bow." I glared. She raised her eyebrows, and raised her hands in defense.

"What? He had it coming." I sighed. Shit, going home was gonna be hell. I walked over to the bag of ice that had melted, and tossed it back into the mini fridge. We waited another hour before pulling the window boards away. The sun was setting, and the light washed over the trees turning them gold. 

"Ready?" Lily said, shouldering her bag. I looked at her.

"Ready for what?" I asked. She smiled the smile that had gotten us into all kinds of trouble.

"Ready to go to Downtown Monument." 

* * *

Note: Short and sweet thing I came up with. It's been going around and around in my head. We'll see where Lily and Katie go in the next chapter.

Hi, I'm Oksanna and I love to write. I don't write for others, I write for the freedom it brings me. But if you read this thing I've written, and like it, then great!

Cheers! 


	2. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie and Lily return to Katie's foster home to grab a few supplies.

We had decided that before we ventured into the heart of a veritable hell spawn, that I was gonna need my shit. Judd and Nancy’s shack was on the other side of Monument, but you could get there by the road that ran around the perimeter of the town. We didn’t want to walk into the middle of “Death Valley” until we absolutely had to, but I really didn’t want to go to Judd and Nancy’s either.

Lily slid her bow around her body and picked up her quiver. It was empty, but she knew where all her arrows were because you could where they landed from the house. I pulled back the board covering the hatch and let the ladder drop. It made a muted thud as it hit the ground. I looked at Lily.

“And if he’s awake?” I asked. We had been trading snaps about the plan we were trying to execute. I agreed that I needed my backpack but disagreed about returning to the Taylor household. Lily rolled her eyes as I started down the ladder.

“K, you saw him tonight, he was totally bombed. If he’s awake, it’ll be by sheer willpower, and we both know he has none. You’ll be fine. Just get in, grab your stuff and we blow this place.” She said confidently. We dropped to the ground. Lily began grabbing the arrows from the ground and trees that she had fired at Judd earlier.

“But just say that by the grace of God, he’s awake…” I proposed as she pulled an arrow out of a bush and slid it into her quiver. She sighed, looking at me. The relationship I had with Judd and Nancy was complicated and it was only compounded by the fact that somewhere in this world, there were people who were biologically my parents, but they didn’t want me. It was a lot for a kid to wrap their head around,

“Katie, you are the scrappiest ginger I know…well, you’re the only ginger I know, but that’s besides the point.” She turned to face me, placing one hand on my shoulder.

“How long have we known each other?” I sighed.

“Seven years.” I responded. She nodded.

“And in those seven years, have I ever lied to you?” I shook my head. She had never lied, about anything. In fact, Lily is where you went to hear the honest truth. Sometimes it was brutal, but necessary truths.

“So, if I didn’t know that the minute that asshole tries to lay a hand on you, you’ll clothesline him, would I send you into his house?” I shook my head. She was good. She had always been like this, willing to help you see the truth, even if you were too stubborn to hear it. I ran my hand across my extremely short copper hair. I nodded, finally conceding to her line of questioning.

“Fine, fine, we can go.” I said. She bounced on her toes in excitement and resumed picking her way through the trees. After we had collected all 15 of Lily’s arrows, we stepped out onto the road. We only had to travel for an hour before we got to a residential neighborhood. The buildings were menacing against the black sky and I shivered at the ominous nature of the shadowy structures. Most of the houses were abandoned, but it made sense, who would want to live in such a hunted place. The streets stared back at us as we walked down the middle of it. Houses loomed, tall and dark, or squat and shadowy. The temperature had dropped quickly, and goosebumps raced up my bare arms. We walked in total silence. It wasn’t exactly a place for lively chit chat. We approached the smallest shack on the block. Judd and Nancy’s. It was dark. No lights, but they didn’t exactly have electricity. Judd thought paying the electricity bill was a scam from the government to buy your soul, and he was apparently fond of his soul.

“I’m gonna go around and check for movement.” Lily whispered. I nodded. I was very thankful she was with me; I didn’t think I’d have been able to do this on my own. I walked up to the front door and pressed my hand against the glass. I couldn’t see anything. I pulled on the handle; it didn’t budge. Locked. I stepped away, trying the side door. Also locked. As out of it that these two were, there was something to be said for paranoia. They always locked the doors. I continued around the house until I got to Lily. She nodded toward the back door.

“Didn’t see anything, and all the doors are locked. Should we break a window?” She asked. I shook my head, exaggerating my eye roll.

“And risk waking the sleeping gargoyles? I don’t think so. Let’s try the cellar.” I said. She nodded as we stepped slightly left of the back door. I crouched, plunging my hand into the snow until I met a cold bit of metal. I pulled straight up, my heart jack rabbiting in my chest as the heavy cellar door cried out in protest. Fuck! We paused. No sound, we’re good. I laid the door down gently and stared into the blackness. The only thing that Judd and Nancy kept in the cellar was booze. But there was also a door into the kitchen. My room was just off the kitchen before you got to Judd and Nancy’s cave. I looked at Lily.

“Did you bring light?” I asked. She nodded, rummaging in her backpack, and producing a flashlight. Then she pulled the bow from around her and held it in her hand. She pulled an arrow from her quiver and nocked it. I clicked on the light and pointed it into the hole. Here goes nothing. We carefully climbed down the steps. I swung the flashlight back and forth as we went. The musty smell of the cellar bundled into me and I wrinkled my nose in disgust. Jesus. It smelled like death in here. A sound from behind me told me Lily had gotten the same smell. We dipped our heads slightly as we got to the floor. I scanned the room with my light. Against one wall, there was a teetering stack of beer boxes. Beer bottles were strewn about and we had to step carefully to avoid stepping on them. As we got to the stairs, I pointed the light at the kitchen door.

“Ok, I’m gonna go unlock the front door, meet me there.” I said to Lily’s nod. She turned and walked back to the cellar stairs as I silently climbed the kitchen stairs. I reached out and slowly twisted the knob. The door opened with a muted grunt. The hinges on this door were worse than the cellar door, so I knew that I wouldn’t be able to open this door far without the hideous alarm that the rusted hinges gave off. I crammed my body through the impossible opening, wincing when I felt the lock plate slice into my arm. Ouch. After I was through, I gently pushed the door closed and swung the flashlight to light the kitchen. It smelled worse in here than the cellar. I walked, tracing the light over the countertops. A cockroach made a hasty retreat from the light and I bit back a gag. The sink was piled with dishes coved in some kind of pasty substance that had flies. I decided I had enough of exploring and quickly stepped over to the front door. I twisted the deadbolt and pulled the door open. Lily looked at me, and smirked. “See? This is cake.” I shrugged, still unconvinced. She stepped in and I closed the door.

“Ok, my room is down that hall.” I said, pointing the flashlight. She nodded. We got to my door and I turned to her, pressing my finger to my lips. She nodded. We were right next to Judd and Nancy’s “cave”, and I really wasn’t in the mood for a reunion. I slipped into my room, relaxing slightly. Lily stayed by the door. I quickly strode across the room, grabbing various things off the floor and hooking the beaten-up backpack up from the floor, tossing it over one shoulder. I grabbed a jacket off the chair in front of my desk, then paused when I noticed my journal laying open. I definitely wasn’t leaving that here. I swiped the journal up and stuffed it into the bag. I turned scanning the room with the flashlight. I had no attachments to this place, but this room had always been a sort of safe haven for me. As I looked around, flashes of pain went through my head. Judd’s angry, drunken fist connecting with my eye. The searing paint of the butt of his gun against my temple. Tears sprang to my eyes and I hastily wiped them away. Suck it up, K. I turned and, without a second glance, left the room.

“You ok?” Lily asked as I avoided her eyes. She wouldn’t have been able to see my tears here in the dark, but it was more the display of weakness than anything. She thought I was a ginger badass, that’s what I’d be, if not for me then for her. I nodded, clearing my throat.

“Yeah, yeah, lets just get the fuck out of here.” I responded briskly. I walked over to the front door, closed, and locked it. We traipsed back through the kitchen to the cellar door and squeezed in. When we were both in, I pulled the door shut behind us.

“Hey, this wasn’t so bad. Those two numbskulls didn’t even know we were here.” Lilly said as we stepped down the stairs. I nodded, actually agreeing. It had been easier than I thought.

“Is that so?” A deep voice boomed out as we got fully into the cellar. My heart dropped into my shoes as we came face to face with Judd Taylor. He was pissed. And he was holding a gun. Fuck.


	3. Disaster Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie and Lily have a gnarly run in with the Asshole King himself. Judd lets slip a big secret and people get hurt in more ways than one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am very much enjoying writing this...I hope you like reading this. I've never written anything longer than a one-shot. I also love writing from the perspective of teenagers, simply because I vividly remember being one. I also promise we will get to the WEarp world eventually. I'm kind of just letting inspiration come to me, I do not have these chapters planned at all, my brain don't work like that.
> 
> tw// mention of rape  
> Judd is King Asshole, so this chapter gets vivid. Mentions of rape, and beatings.

Judd swayed where he stood, the gun shaking minutely in his hand. He coughed, bring the other hand, clutching a beer, up to cover the hacking. I glanced at Lily. Her hand tightened around the bow in her hand, but she did not bring it up. I had no doubt that she’d outdraw him, especially with him already plastered, but the situation was too delicate to pull any Robin Hood shit.

  
“So, Katie. The little bird has returned to her cage.” Judd croaked out, after the coughing had subsided. I took an inventory of him. Judd Taylor was a squat man. He reeked of beer 24/7 and his coal-colored hair was plastered to his head with the grease that coated him. Today, he donned a ripped polo and sweats that sagged in every spot. Sweat dripped down his thick chin, and his teeth, few that there were, were dingy.

  
“Please.” Lily found her words, spitting them like they tasted of dirt. Judd’s head swivel to look at her. I swallowed hard. We needed to be careful, he was still holding a gun.

  
“Who is your delightful friend, Katie?” He grumbled, taking a step forward. The smile that split his face made my blood boil. Lust. I stepped in front of Lily.

  
“Back off, asshole.” I snarked. Judd and I locked eyes. He had worn the same smile many times. It seemed permanent even when I screamed for him to stop and get off. The memories of rough hands on my thighs made me squeeze my eyes shut, momentarily.

  
“Excuse me, but you came into my house. I don’t think you have much room here, little bird.” He huffed, taking another step forward. Lily scoffed behind me, whispering under her breath.

  
“Fucking drunk bastard.” It wasn’t quiet enough because Judd suddenly swung the gun to point it past my shoulder.

  
“Listen bitch!” He yelled, the veins popping out of his neck. I flinched at the sudden increase in volume but stayed put.

  
Suddenly, it seemed as if my hand moved of its own accord. My right fist came up, connecting with his nose. A thunderous bellow ripped out of Judd as he staggered back, dropping the beer, and shattering it. I didn’t hesitate, throwing all of me into a tackle. I threw him into the wall. He grabbed my neck and pulled. I lost my grip and landed hard of my left shoulder.The backpack slipped from my back. The distraction gave Lily enough time to nock an arrow and fire it. It missed. Judd staggered up right, swing the gun down and cracking me across the forehead. Blood poured.

  
“Fuck you, you sack of shit!” I said, crawling away from him, and wrapping my hand across my forehead. I was getting a tremendous headache. Judd, in his drunkenness, stepped on an empty bottle and lost his footing, running right into a large stack of beer boxes. Several of them shattered deafeningly. I got to my feet, grabbing Lily’s arm, and tugging her towards the cellar stairs.

  
“Believe me little girl, I have tried. You never seemed into it.” Judd bellowed. My blood ran cold. I looked at Lily, shocked colored her face. I have never told her about the abuse before. The anger that lived deep in my belly, seemed to break free. I strode over to Judd, who was still holding his nose. The anger seethed and bubbled, but when I opened my mouth, nothing came out. Instead, I felt shame. I turned to walk away, deciding to just leave. I bent to grab the bag on the floor. I locked eyes with Lily as a searing pain shot through my shoulder. Judd had composed himself enough to fire the gun, hitting me in the shoulder. I dropped, the pain ripping through me like my skin was being pulled off. Lily grabbed at me but stopped as Judd pointed the gun at her. I looked at him.

  
“No!” I screamed. The silence that fell felt heavy. Everyone was breathing hard, and the smell of beer seemed to settle on my every nerve. I pressed my hand to my shoulder, the blood seeping through my fingers. Judd suddenly looked sober, and he took a steady step toward me. Lily raised the bow, pulling the string back. Judd chuckled.

  
“Listen, I’m holding the gun. I make the rules now. Ok? You bitches are gonna learn to submit when a man speaks, you hear?” Lily snarled.

  
“One more step and I will put this fucking arrow through your balls, fucker.” I had never heard her sound so scared. I looked at her, and our eyes connected. She was terrified. I looked at Judd. We had to get that gun out his hand and get out of here.

  
“Okay!” I spoke. His eyes rested on me. I stood slowly, keeping my hand on the bullet wound. It hurt. I raised both hands in the air, signaling surrender. Judd smiled.

  
“Atta girl, Katie. Now here’s what’s gonna happen. Ill let you go, but I have one last request.” I glared, my heart thundering in my chest. I couldn’t feel the bullet, but blood dripped down my hand.

  
“Why the fuck would she give anything to you?” Lily snarled. I raised one hand in her direction. Judd looked at her.

  
“Because we took her in, we gave her a home, we gave her a life, and we never received anything in return.” Lily seemed unable to stop her words.

  
“You call this a life; she was miserable here! She came to my house, just to escape the hell!” I spun, looking at her.

  
“L.” She looked at me, stopping when she saw my face. She sighed, refocusing on her drawn bow. I looked at Judd, locking eyes with him.

  
“What do you want?” I asked, softly. He looked at me, slowly dragging his gaze down my body and back up. The gaze made me feel dirty, but it was not foreign. He had held this same gaze nearly every night. I swallowed. He rested one had on his crotch, and slowly rubbed back and forth.

  
“I want the one thing I could never get: you.” He said, his voice dropping not a low gravel. I swallowed the gag reflex. He walked toward me, the gun lowering to his side. I prayed that Lily was on the same track as me. I slowly lowered one hand and flipped my palm toward Lily. I balled my hand into a fist. Judd pulled at the edge of his sweatpants, continuing toward me. I took a step back and held out one finger. Judd put his hand down his pants and fumbled. I held out a second finger. I could feel Lily’s gaze burn into my back. Judd finally freed himself from his pants and I shut my eyes against the grotesque sight. I flicked out a third finger, and an arrow whistled past my shoulder lodging itself into Judd’s crotch. The bellowed that followed sounded like the loch ness monster stepping on a LEGO. Judd dropped. I stepped forward quickly, wrenching the gun from his grip and spinning toward the cellar stairs, grabbing the backpack and tossing over the uninjured shoulder. Lily was already out, and I sprinted up the stairs and burst from the cellar. I closed both doors and followed Lily as she raced away from the house.

  
We did not stop. The adrenaline that raced through us, pushed us toward the edge of town. The only sound that was heard was the shifting of Lily’s arrows in the quiver. I looked up as we approached downtown.

  
“L, follow me!” I said. We couldn’t go back to the treehouse, now that Judd knew Lily was the archer. I sprinted towards the large building that sat at the edge of town. No one dared go there. I pulled at the doors, surprised when they opened. We slowed our run to a jog. I sagged against a wall as the doors of Safehouse 5 closed behind us. I groaned. My entire arm was covered in blood. I felt faint.

  
“Jesus K, this is a lot of blood.” Lily said pressing her hand to my shoulder. I laughed.

  
“Believe me, I’ve been through worse.” I said. Lily’s face grew serious.

  
“Like rape?” I locked eyes with her. Her eyes grew solemn.

  
“Lily, I…” She walked away from me. I followed.

  
“Lily, wait I can explain.” She spun her face a mask of hurt.

  
“Explain what Katie? You were…sexually assaulted, and you never told me, and what’s worse, you went back!” The hurt punctuated every word. The shame returned, and I looked at the ground.

  
“Katie, I’m your best friend, why didn’t you tell me?” I sighed, wincing as pain shot through my shoulder.  
“I didn’t tell you because I…” She glared.

  
“Because why?!” I stuttered, terrified that she hated me.

  
“Because I was ashamed!” I yelled, finally. We rounded a corner into a large room. I hadn’t been paying attention to where we were. The chill of the building made me shake. Lily dropped onto a bench, her head dropping into her hands. I walked over.

  
“Because you always said I was the strongest person you knew, and it turned out that it was all a lie.” I whispered, sitting next to her. She looked at me. I continued, unable to hold on to the words any longer.

  
“Because despite the hellish nights, and the shame, it was a home, the only home I’d ever had, and that was worth the…other stuff.” I confessed. She stood suddenly, crossing her arms in front of her.

  
“The only home you’ve ever had, huh?” I was confused at the accusation until I replayed what I had said. Shit.

  
“No, Lily, that’s not what I meant. I just…” I sighed. This hole wasn’t getting any smaller. I took a breath and walked in front of her, putting my hand on her shoulder. I looked at her.

  
“Lily listen to me. You are my best friend. Judd and Nancy were a necessity. That place was a need. But you, you are a want. I needed them to survive but I wanted you. Every night, every unforgiving night, I’d close my eyes and I’d take myself out of it. I’d go to you. You kept me alive. You were my reason to fight, because one day, I’d get out of there, and it’d be just you and me, and we’d live forever away from that hurt. Just us.” Tears ran down Lily’s cheek. She pulled me in gently and the warmth of her hug, chased away the cold. I wrapped my good arm around her and buried my face in her shoulder. Thank God.

  
“I love you.” The words were said so quietly, I almost missed them. My heart took on a new beat, and I felt a warm air rush through my chest.

  
“Me too.” Was all I could manage. We parted. Her eyes danced with a light I hadn’t see in a while. Love. She cleared her throat, looking around the cavernous space.

  
“K, where the hell are we?” I looked up too.

  
“Welcome to Black Badge Division Safehouse #5”.


	4. Black Badge Division Safehouse #5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BBD Safehouse #5 is said to be infested with mutant zombies, and be the same place legendary demon hunter, Wynonna Earp jumped through a portal to save her sister. But those are just rumors. When Katie and Lily find themselves between a rock and a hard place, do they choose to follow rumors from 15 years ago, or make a stand?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're doing the math here, 15 years puts Katie and Lily in 2035 at the start of the story, assuming the events of the latest season of Wynonna is in 2020. This math is about to get effed, in the next chapter, I will do my best to keep it linear.

My whole body shook as the dampness of the safehouse penetrated my clothes and coat me in goosebumps. Lily picked up the bag that I had dropped and looked at me.

“Ok, now what?” I closed my eyes and grabbed my shoulder, willing the ache that pinned me to the wall to subside. I took a deep breath. _You’re ok, it’s just a gunshot._ It seemed asinine that I treat this wound as no big deal, but in the truth of the moment, I was relieved. I was relieved to be away from “the blackhole”, as Lily so eloquently put it. After several stabilizing breaths, I dropped my hand, and stood away from the wall. Lily looked at me, her gaze colored in worry. I smirked, trying to infuse the moment with the levity that I so desperately desired.

“We press on.” I finally said. She sighed.

“Are you sure, you’re still bleeding.” She said, stepping close to me. My heart jumped at her closeness, but I shoved the feeling away. It was well and truly, not the time to catch feelings. I nodded resolute.

“I won’t stop bleeding until I find something to stop it. We’re not gonna find that in this doorway.” I continued. She nodded, readjusting the bag. We slowly moved into the large, cavernous room. It looked like a large meeting room. There was a massive metal table, littered with scraps of paper that seemed glue down by time. Lily dragged one finger across the table and grimaced at the result.

“Gross.” I chuckled.

“What do you expect, this place has been abandoned for 15 years. Not like they had a janitor. You think they have a med bay?” I asked. She shrugged.

“Would anything be useable?” She asked, as we shuffled around the large metal table.

“For my sake, let’s hope.” I answered. We fell into an easy silence, as we worked through the building. But soon, the silence became weighted with words that needed to be said. Neither one of us wanted to start. We got to a large door, and I scanned it, trying to find a button or a handle. Lily left my side to bang on it. It let out an echoey bang. Lily looked at me.

“What was this place, it looks like a spaceship.” She asked.

“15 years ago, it was a lab, sort of.” I answered, turning away to look at a control board. The buttons didn’t light up anymore, and everything had a translucent film coating it. I stabbed a button, holding my breath. Nothing happed. I stabbed another button and jumped when a loud beep rang out. Lily tightened her grip on her bow out of anxiety. I looked up as the beep ended. The door remained closed.

“What in the hell is behind that door? Why is it so hard to open?” Lily grumbled. I laughed; she had never been very patient. I sighed, resorting to stabbing and pressing several buttons.

“I don’t know, I heard it was some kind of door. Or like a portal. Remember the story of Wynonna Earp?” Lily looked at me, confused.

“The demon hunter? Yeah, there was something about her in my history textbook. She’s supposed to be a legend.” I shook my head, flipping a switch back and forth.

“No, she existed. It wasn’t just her either, she had two sisters, an older sister, and a little sister. Well, the story goes, her little sister, Waverly was actually half angel, and got sucked into this invisible door in the woods that led to the Garden of Eden. She was trapped in like this awful, cold, hellish place for like three days, but in reality, it was like 2 years.” Lily’s eyes widened. I pulled down on a lever. The door slid open with an antique grinding noise. I sighed. Finally. Lily raised her bow, pulling an arrow from her quiver. I pulled my backpack from her shoulder and slung it over the one that wasn’t shot. I pulled Judd’s pistol from my waistband where I had stuck it, in my escape and checked the clip, full. I sighed, my anxiety easing slightly. The room we entered sent chills down my spine. Bodies. Hundreds of bodies laid on the floor or sat in chairs, as if they had died suddenly. Lily gasped at the sight.

“What happened to them?” I shushed her quietly, bringing my finger up to my lips. She nodded.

“Apparently, toxic gas a la BBD.” I whispered briskly. She looked at me.

“Why?” I closed my eyes briefly, taking a big breath as my shoulder groaned.

“They found the door to the Garden. The story goes, the Earp heir killed the guy who cast the Earp curse, and after her sister was taken into the Garden, she went looking for her, and found the door to the Garden. She went in after her sister.” I said. I didn’t really know the whole story. This was the type of story that had been told through rumors, there was no actual account of it. No one was sure if Wynonna had ever even existed. Lily nudged me gently.

“You see why it’s hard to believe that? Her sister was half angel, please. There’s no way.” I nodded.

“There’s got to be some fact though, right? I mean, how else would it end up in the textbook?” She rolled her eyes at me. I stepped over a body, not looking down. We had come through the entire room with no issues. There had also been rumors of the bodies in this building coming to life, like zombies. I jabbed Lily’s arm. She looked at me.

“Hey, what would you do if one of them came to life?” I asked, smirking. Lily shook her head vigorously.

“Count me out man, I ain’t dealing with zombies, you’re on your own, babe.” She said. I bit down on my lip to stop my laughing. We had come to the next door. I paused. There was a set of stairs to my left that looked like they went down. I had no idea if the building had a med bay, but it’d be near the basement. Sterile environments were usually the lowest rooms in any building. Truth be told, I couldn’t really feel the wound anymore. I put my hand against my shoulder and rubbed. I glanced down and gasped. Lily’s head snapped around to look at me.

“K! What, you ok?” She fretted over me. I pulled my hand away from my shoulder. She searched my eyes, looking down and mimicking my gasp.

“It’s gone!” I rubbed my shoulder and felt nothing. No hole, no bullet. The blood stained my arm, but it no longer flowed. It was blood from nowhere. Lily took a shaky step away from me, backing into a control panel. A loud humming filled the room. I looked back and forth like a cornered animal. She looked up too. We had no time to process the lack of gunshot as the door we were standing in front of, opened. A blinding yellow light caused us both to shield our eyes. My mouth dropped open as I realized that the blinding light was coming from a large arc like structure.

It was true. It was all true. 

“What the- “Lily’s exclamation was cut off as a mean growl ripped across the room. A hand came down on Lily’s shoulder and dragged her back. I turned around, my awe turning into horror as I came face to face with another thing that had been true. The zombies. Rotting corpses of long dead scientists staggered upright from their chairs and turned toward us. I raised the gun in my hand and shot several shots into the crowd. They seemed little affected, and we were forced into the room of blinding light. Lily had kicked away from her mutant and seized my arm.

“We have no way out!” She yelled; her voice barely audible over the growing hoard. She fired her bow, taking out several undead. I looked over my shoulder.

“We have one way!” I shouted, jogging away from the door. I slammed my hand down on the control panel that opened the door and it closed with a resounding thud. Now we were stuck in a room with a portal. We looked at each other.

“Katie, are you insane?!” I rubbed my shoulder again to confirm that it hadn’t been an illusion. I strolled over to her, grabbing her shoulders, and spinning her to face me.

“It was true! It was all true! The demon hunter, and the portal.” I said, my excitement pitching my voice dramatically. She pulled away from me.

“So, you are insane.” She responded. I sighed, desperate to make her listen. I gestured to the light.

“We have no choice. If we open that door, were dead, for sure.” She sighed, exasperated.

“So, we walk through some light show?” She asked, her voice raising in pitch.

“L, we don’t have a choice. Look, in the story, Wynonna Earp went through the portal, and made it home.” I said. She looked at me as the zombies continued to pound the door.

“It’s a story, Katie! It’s not real!” She cried impatiently. I turned away, a surprising ache ricocheted through my chest at her refusal. 

“But you are.” I said softly. A hard quiet fell.

“What?” She asked. I remained turned away from her.

“You are real.” I turned. She locked eyes with me. My heart raced. I glanced at the door, expecting a hand to crash through the glass. She opened her mouth to speak but I shook my head.

“You are real, and I am real, and right now, we are in real trouble.” She stepped up to me.

“K, this is insane.” She whispered. My eyes burned, but I rejected the tears. Not right now. I had to get this out.

“L, this is our only hope. I know this is a lot, and now is not the time but if we are gonna die, I’m gonna make sure I don’t forget anything.”

“Forget anything? What would you-“I cut her off, taking her hand.

“I am in love with you. Not as friends, not as buddies. I am in love with you. And right now, we’re stuck between a rock and some zombies. Yes, it sounds insane, and yes, right now you’re probably thinking how normal life would be if you’d never met me, but right now, we need to make a choice. I choose you. I choose love, and I choose life, in whatever way that comes. But I won’t be able to choose those things if we don’t choose the insane option. Please. Lily. Don’t leave me.” Her tears flowed like undammed rivers over a cliff’s edge. The pounding was getting harder. We had to go, now, but we seemed frozen to the spot we stood in front of the portal which immitted a warm heat. The door suddenly gave out a loud creak, followed by resounding boom as it blew from its hinges. Mutant zombies poured in.

“I don’t know where we’ll end up when we do this but swear to me, you’ll come find me.” Lily said quickly. I twisted my head in confusion. I had no intention of losing her. Suddenly, she let go of my hand, raised her bow, fired an arrow and sharply pushed me forward. My mouth fell open in a scream as I fell into pitch black.

“Lily!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, throughout this story, I've been linking one of my characters to one of the OG WEarp characters, through various bits of information. Each chapter will have a line or a detail that links two of the characters. If you read carefully enough, you may figure out just who exactly she is, before she figures it out.
> 
> If you're so inclined, write a comment, telling me who you think the two characters are and why.
> 
> Cheers!  
> Oksanna


	5. When the Hell Am I?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie realizes the portal didn't work...or did it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, I told you, we'd get to the Wynonna Earp world.
> 
> So, I think I may have fixed that pesky plot hole in episode 2. 
> 
> We'll see if Katie likes her new friends. I hope they get along.
> 
> Where the hell is Lily? Somebody should really get to finding her.

My eyes snapped open as if I had been pulled from a deep sleep. I was lying down on my stomach, on something incredibly hard. Concrete. I blinked rapidly, looking up without moving. The ceiling was concrete too. Shit. A sinking sensation went though my gut as I realized that I was still in the safehouse. I lifted my head, hearing several cracks. Apparently, lying on concrete was bad for your joints, hm. I pulled my arms into my sides, laying my palms flat on the stone and slowly shoved myself upright. My back twinged. Ow. I closed my eyes, as my head throbbed. I smirked, realizing what I looked like.

“Lily, if you tell anyone about that, we are no longer best friends.” I said, a laugh escaping my lips in the process. I got no reply. I twisted to look behind me. Lily wasn’t there.

“L? Hey! Dude, it didn’t work!” I called, standing. I picked up my gun from where it lay next to me and slid it into my waistband. Where the hell is she? I turned toward the door.

“What the fuck?” I muttered as I got to the door. It was back on it's hinges, almost as if it had never been broken. I looked through the window, expecting the horde of zombies. Nothing. Not an undead scientist to be seen. A weird feeling started to creep into my chest. Something wasn’t right. I walked over to the control panel and clicked several buttons. Nothing. I pulled on the lever. Still nothing. I sighed, instinctively touching my shoulder. Well, at least that was the same. No bullet, but my arm was still covered in blood. I hadn’t imagined it. 

A loud band rang out somewhere in the building. Maybe it was Lily. I pulled the gun and cocked it, holding it in my left hand. I gently pulled the door open, glancing up and down the hall. It was a ghost town, but I wasn’t complaining. I hissed down the hall.

“Lily?” Nothing. I swallowed hard, refusing to allow the possibility of something bad to creep into my mind. She was ok. She had to be. I slowly walked down the hall, keeping the gun in front of me. I got back to room with the undead scientists, but something was off. I couldn’t explain it, but they seemed different, less dead. They were still dead, but just less. I crouched to look at one, as another bang ripped through the building. The zombie I was looking at jerked. I quickly pressed the gun against its temple and pulled the trigger. The shot woke three other zombies. I quickly exited the room and closed the door, sliding a bench in front of it. These guys woke up a lot faster, then the ones that had attacked us. I got back to the room with the metal table and looked across the room. No Lily. Keep your head, Katie. She was fine, you were just split up. I chanted this in my head. A yell echoed from the hall to my left.

“Lily!” I called, the panic finally starting to get to me. Keep it together, K! You’ll be no help if you’re dead! I silently berated myself but pushed down the hall at a slow jog. I rounded a corner, gasping at the sight that greeted me. Hundreds of zombies were crowding around a door, clawing, and scratching desperately trying to get in. It had to be Lily.

“Hey, Zombieland! Come get me!” I hollered, pulling the attention of several, who started toward me. I turned and took off at a sprint. This would give Lily enough time to do whatever the hell it was she was trying to do. I hauled up the corridor, fueled by the sound of grumbling that came from the horde behind me. I got to a corner, grabbed the wall, and catapulted around it, pumping my arms. I had to find a way to lose this horde! Think K! The grates! There was something in the legends about the grates. They were infested, but some weren’t. The problem was, I was running too fast to examine them. Shit. I got to a door and pulled on it. It was locked. I heard the horde of scientists getting louder and louder. I realized that there was a staircase to my right. I closed my eyes and said a prayer. I pulled on the staircase door. It opened. I stepped in, closing it moments before the zombies got to me. I sat, holding the door closed, as my heart tried to beat out of chest. Jesus! I waited till the horde sounds had faded. I opened the door slowly. The hall was empty.  
I quickly jogged back down the hall and peeked around the corner. There was still a ton of zombies trying to get whatever was in that room. As I watched, the door flew from its hinges, and the rest of the horde poured into the room. I held my breath as I charged toward the door. Please don’t be dead, please don’t be dead. Suddenly, the entrance to the room and all of the zombies, exploded. I shot back, flying off my feet in the process. Where did Lily get a bomb? I sat up. The doorway was empty, save for the pile of zombified corpses that littered it. I stood, quickly doing a mental check of my body. Nothing was broken. I touched my shoulder. Still no bullet. I ran towards the door, making sure there were no moving bodies. I stepped over one, relief flooding my chest as I stepped through the door.

“Lily, where the hell have you- “I started, but stopped as I realized that I wasn’t talking to Lily. My jog slowed to a stop as I took in the sight in front of me. Lily wasn’t in this room either, but I wasn’t alone. A kid who couldn’t have been more than my age, looked up, dirt smeared down her face and clothes. Her long black hair was coated in the same grime that covered her jacket and her jeans. She was holding the body of another person. A tall ginger in a teal beanie, a cop, judging from the uniform. Her eyes were closed, and her breath came in ragged heaves.

“Who the hell are you?” She asked defensively. My voice caught in my throat.

“Katie.” I managed. She looked down at her companion.

“Her leg is broken in three places. I can’t get her out of here on my own. Can you help me?” My shock dissolved as her words landed on my ears. I nodded stuffing the gun back into my waistband and slowly walking over to the women. I crouched, looking at the unconscious officer. I looked at the kid.

“What happened to her?” I asked, looking down the entire length of the redhead. I didn’t see any other injuries besides the broken leg. The kid looked up at the ceiling and I followed her gaze. 

“She fell.” I grimaced at the sound that produced in my head. A body hitting concrete.

“How far?” I asked. She looked down at the cop.

“All the way.” She said.

“Shit.” I muttered. She nodded, taking a deep breath.

“So, uh, how do you want to do this?” I sighed. The cop looked to be about 5’9, and I was 5’4, so it was gonna be a struggle. I looked at the officer’s other leg, it seemed fine.

“Ok, so we wake her up, and see if she can use the other leg.” I said quickly. The kid nodded. I shook the officer. 

“Hey. We need you to wake up.” I said. She groaned, as her eyes flickered open. They were a dark brown. They flicked between the kid and me.

“Who’s this?” The cop croaked. 

“This is Katie. She’s gonna help us, but we need you to stay awake. Ok?” The big ginger nodded, shifting her weight, so that she was sitting upright.

“Ok, so you get on one side, and I’ll get on the other, and we’ll pull her up.” I said, looking at the kid. I looked at the cop.

“Try and pull the leg that’s not broken all the way into your butt.” She nodded, following my instructions. I grabbed her right arm. The kid grabbed her left. I looked at both of them.

“Ok, on my count, we pull her, so that her weight in above her right foot, and then you, stand up.” I said to the cop. She nodded. I got into a crouch; the kid mirrored me.

“Ok, 1…2…gently, 3.” I said. We pulled on the officer’s arms till her torso was over her knee. She flexed her leg, slowly standing on one foot. Her left leg jutted out awkwardly. She gasped in pain but gritted her teeth.

“Ahh, ah, fuck, that hurts!” I winced.

“I know, but you’re up, and that’s what counts.” The kid said, slipping her arm around the officers back. Now that she was standing, I could see her badge pinned to her shirt, and a name plate that read Haught. She was tall; my assumptions had been correct. She looked at me. 

“So, Katie, now what?” She asked. I looked at the kid.

“You guys have a ride home?” The officer nodded. We began the painful walk back to the front of the safehouse. Between the kid and I, we managed to keep the officer upright. The officer, for her part, did everything she could to help. But there was nothing we could do for her pain.

“So, you’re a cop?” I asked. She chuckled.

“Sheriff, actually.” She responded. I hummed in acknowledgement. 

“Where, Monument?” I asked. She shook her head, concentrating on her steps.

“Purgatory.” My heart staggered in its beat at the mention of the town. 

“I didn’t know there was still people in Purgatory.” I responded quietly as we turned a corner. She gasped in pain.

“Why wouldn’t there be people in Purgatory?” She asked. I shrugged, deciding to drop it. I still needed to find Lily, and the worry that I felt settled on my face. The officer gazed at me, her brow furrowing.

“What’s wrong? You ok?” I shook my head. 

“My friend and I got split up.” I said, looking away from her gaze. 

“Here?” The kid asked as we started down the entrance hall. I nodded. She glanced at the officer then at me.

“There’s no one else here.” My head whipped to look at her. That wasn’t possible. 

“What do you mean there’s no one else here? Where else would she be?” I asked, the panic returning.

“No, I mean, this building has been empty for years. It was just me, until today. Before Nicole and Wynonna showed up, it was just me.” My blood ran like ice at the names. I was sure I had misheard. My mouth dropped open.

“Wynonna?” I asked. The kid nodded. 

“Wynonna Earp?” I repeated, unable to focus on anything else. The officer looked at me, her eyes growing serious.

“Katie, what’s wrong?” She asked. I looked at her.

“Wynonna Earp disappeared 15 years ago.” I stuttered quietly. The kid looked at the officer and at me.

“No, we were just with her. We opened the portal to that garden place that she was looking for, and she went in after her sister, who's an angel. Right?" The kid insisted, looking at the officer for confirmation. The tall cop nodded as we hobbled up to a beat up blue and white pickup. The shocked deepened as a sickening realization hit me. The portal had worked, but not at sending me home. It had sent me back in time. It had sent me 15 years back in time. Holy shit.


	6. Welcome to Purgatory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie adjusts to her new reality by helping to mend familiar wounds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter deviates from canon. This is also only one day after Wynonna has gone to the garden, so Nicole's leg is still busted. I also had no way to connect how Nicole's leg healed if she was alone so I kept Rachel with her to make a splint. 
> 
> Katie seems to be a calming presence for Nicole right now, which is not to negate all the things that Rachel did, because I'm sure, Rachel struggled in those first few weeks. 
> 
> I also am imagining Nicole to be extremely bitter the first few days. (Yes, I know she didn't give up, per canon) but that doesn't mean she can't be pissed.

After I was sure that the kid and the sheriff would get home ok, I turned to look at the safehouse, my mind whirling like a machine. Ok, lets be logical here. You just talked to people that no one has seen in almost 16 years. The Earps vanished mysteriously 15 years ago, people speculate that the disappearance caused the death of the sheriff. No one knows if Sheriff Haught had died, they just assumed that with the disappearance of her lover, that it killed her. Died of a broken heart they say. Yet here you stand, having just spoken to the good sheriff herself. I had no idea how to put together what my head knew, and what my eyes had just seen. I tried to focus on those things within my control. If I was 15 year in the past, I shouldn’t exist. I wouldn’t be born yet. So logically, Lily wouldn’t exist either. She was younger than me by two months. I had no idea who my parents were, so there was no use in going back to Monument. I would find no answers there. The only options I had were to go back into the safehouse or go to the only other place that was as screwed up as Monument: Purgatory. I closed my eyes, trying to decide.

  
Swear to me you’ll find me. Dammit Lily, why didn’t you come with me! I can’t find you if you don’t exist! I finally gave in to the ache that lived in my chest, collapsing to my knees, and letting the grief hit me. It felt good to sit there and cry. I very rarely ever did. Not even after Judd’s hands had been on me. The thought of Judd made me sob harder. It had all been a lie. I wasn’t strong. I wasn’t brave. Hell, wherever Lily was, she was probably better off. I’m just the kid whose foster dad raped her. I was hardly worth the dirt I knelt in now. I don’t know how long I sat, grieving the girl I loved, but eventually I ran out of tears. I simply felt hollow. I felt numb. I wiped my nose on the collar of my shirt and lightly touched my shoulder with my hand. No bullet. I was beginning to think that’d I had imagined it all. The bullet, the run in with Judd, Lily telling me she loved me. I looked down at my arm, it as still covered in dried blood. I grabbed fistfuls of snow and rubbed the dried blood till it was gone. Katie, you are the scrappiest ginger I know. Her voice rang through my head, and I swallowed against the knot in my throat. You’ll be fine. The voice urged me to my feet. No. She was real. She existed, and I was gonna get her back. I had no idea how, but I wasn’t gonna give her up. Swear to me. I swear. I’m coming, L.

I decided to go back into the safehouse, to see if I could find supplies. My stomach was empty, and I was only wearing a t-shirt and jeans. That would not do in this weather. I crept back to the rooms I knew had scientists in them, and carefully combed through them until I had an entire wardrobe. Some of the scientists that had worked outside, had died with heavy winter coats, so I grabbed one of those. After I had grabbed the appropriate clothes, I walked through the building, looking for a map or blueprints. After looting several corpses of their clearance badges, I managed to find a room with a map. I studied it. I was currently on the second floor. There was an armory to my left, and med bay in subbasement 3. The map also showed the land around the building. The road off to the left led to Purgatory. I decided to go to the armory first. I swiped the badges, and the door slid open. I walked up to the nearest cage and shot the lock. I pulled the cage open, and grabbed several things including, a large backpack, 8 boxes of handgun ammo, a rifle, and three boxes of rifle ammo. I stuffed all of this into my pack and slid the rifle around my body. Better safe than sorry.  
The next stop I made was to the med bay. I grabbed as much medical supply as I could. 4 first aid kits, three bottles of peroxide, tons of bandages, and an empty medical journal. I realized that I may never see my journal again, so I had to start a new one. I finished in the med bay and slowly jogged through the building til I was outside. I zipped the jacket and turned toward Purgatory. Here goes nothing.

  
It took me the rest of the day, and most of the night until I saw the Welcome to Purgatory sign. In that time, the temperature had dropped dramatically, and I couldn’t feel several parts of my body. I took a deep breath as I walked past it. As I passed the sign, a strange feeling settled within me. Welcome home. I shook my head, clearing it of the feeling. Keep it together. I walked until I couldn’t, stumbling and tripping. I landed on the steps of a building. I was shaking, my teeth seemed broken for all the chattering, and I was exhausted. I tried to stand, but my legs refused to work. As I was beginning to fade, a loud shout boomed in my ears.

  
“Holy shit, Nicole it’s the kid from the safehouse!” The first voice called.

  
“Don’t swear. Get her in the truck, we’ll take her to the homestead.” A second voice answered sternly. I recognized those voices. Where had I heard them before? The black consumed me, before I could investigate further.

  
The sleep I got was little. Between the heart stopping screams, Lily’s voice pleading with me to save her, Judd’s alcohol laced breath whistling into my face, and flashbacks to Judd’s rough hands pinning me to the floor as he had his way with me, sleep was nonexistent. Judd’s hand roughly slapped me, and I shot upright, screaming. My face stung from the slap and I broke down for the second time in two days. The sobs ripped through me, and I feared that I would died from the tears. The darkness echoed the sobs back and I curled into myself trying to escape. The door swung open, and a light came on. I shut my eyes reflexively, turning my body so that the blows would land on my back. But the blows never came. Only a soft voice and a comforting hand.

  
“Ok, alright, you’re ok.” I wasn’t at Judd’s. But it didn’t sound like Lily.

  
“Katie, hey, take a deep breath.” I pulled my head up, looking at the owner of the voice. The kid from the safehouse. The other kid. She fixed her eyes on my face. The were full of concern. I looked down. I was in a bed. A real bed. With blankets and everything. I looked at the kid.

  
“I’m-where-how did I- “None of the sentences were completed as the kid put her hand on my leg.

  
“You’re in Purgatory. At the Earp Homestead. Remember me? I’m Rachel. From Monument. You met me and Nicole.” I absorbed the words, but the fear persisted. I took a ragged breath. Rachel continued.

  
“That’s it, nice deep breath. You’re ok, it was just a nightmare. We’re not strangers to those around here.” She said glancing up at the ceiling. I assumed the good sheriff was in the house too, from her gaze. The breathing became easier.

  
“All I remember was walking into town. It was cold, and I was tired.” I muttered. She nodded.

“I’ll bet. Me and Nicole were on an errand run when we saw you collapse. In front of the bar no less.” She said. I looked at her.

  
“Her leg-” Rachel nodded.

  
“Yep, still broken, but we managed. Couldn’t get near the hospital, so we made an emergency splint out of a couple pieces of wood and some twine. I also found her a cane. She hates it. Says it makes her feel weak.” I nodded.

  
“She fell.” Rachel nodded again.

  
“I keep telling her that. That most people would have died from a fall like that, but she’s hurting. In more ways than just physical. ” I sighed. I understood the sheriff’s reluctance to accept the truth. I felt like I failed Lily, she felt like an invalid. I looked at Rachel, she looked sleep deprived and I realized, between me, and the sheriff, she probably didn’t get much sleep.  
“Shit, I’m sorry for waking you.” I began. She shook her head.

  
“I was already up. Nicole is having a rough night.” I sighed, the last of the nightmare fading.

  
“Well, I think I’m ok now, go get some rest.” I said. She stood, pulling the blankets I had tossed off of me, back up and laid them gently on me. A scream sounded from above. It was Nicole. I looked at Rachel as I laid back down.

  
“Duty calls. Oh, and by the way. Welcome to Purgatory.” I nodded, attempting a smirk, and failing. She stepped out and closed the door and the room was consumed by blackness once more.

  
The next morning came with no more nightmares. I blinked as warm light prompted me to open my eyes. I stretched, feeling several bones pop. As I swung my legs out of bed, I heard a crash. It sounded like a bottle shattering against the wall. I quickly stood, striding into the home. A shout came from the top of the stairs. I jogged up them and turned the corner to find Rachel pressed against a door and crashes bouncing off the other side.

  
“Nicole?” Rachel nodded.

  
“Bad dream, she can’t shake it.” She said shortly. Crash.

  
“What’s she got, an entire wine cabinet in there?” I asked. Rachel shrugged. Suddenly, the crashing stopped, and a silence fell. Then sobbing. I looked at Rachel who pushed the door open.

  
“Nicole?” She pushed the door further to reveal the sheriff curled up in a ball. She cried so hard, that she shook. Rachel stepped in, avoiding the glass.

  
“Get out!” The sheriff screamed, throwing a pillow.

  
“Nicole, it’s Rachel.” Rachel tried to reason with the freaked-out redhead. I don’t know what drove me to do it, but I suddenly crossed the room, avoiding the glass on the floor and touched her leg with my hand.

  
“Nicole, you’re ok. It’s ok.” I said.

  
“Wait, Katie, don’t.” Rachel warned, but I ignored her. This ache the sheriff felt, I had felt it too. I kept my hand on her leg, the one that wasn’t broken. Her breather slowed into a normal rhythm. Her big brown eyes flickered open, and I braced for shock. But I only saw despair.

  
“Waverly.” She moaned, shutting her eyes. I stood, circling the bed, and sitting on it.

  
“I know.” I said. I didn’t, really. I have never met the famed Earp Angel, but this pain was familiar. I put my hand on hers. She was clammy. I looked at Rachel who looked shocked.

  
“That’s the first time she’s said her name in two days.” She said quietly. I looked at my hand on top of the sheriffs. I barely knew her, and yet, I felt this weird need to help her, like we were connected. Her pain was so familiar.

  
“I’m gonna get a pot of coffee started, I’ll be back in a minute.” She said, exiting. I stood from the bed. Nicole reached back and seized my hand.

  
“Don’t go.” She muttered with her back to me.

  
“Nicole, I’m- “She twisted so that she was looking at me. Tears ran down her face.

  
“Please.” The hollow ache that accompanied the words, gave me flashbacks to Lily. Lily, please. Don’t leave me. I nodded, pulling my legs up on the bed, and pulling them up to my chest. This I could do. This I could control. I would not leave. Not this time.


	7. In the Thick of Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie must adjust to her new reality. She begins to bond with Nicole and Rachel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the big gap between chapters. I have been dealing with COVID and just didn't have the energy to finish.

I sat with Nicole for a long time, trying to process everything that had happened in the past two days. Nicole’s shaking had subsided, and she had flipped to stare at the ceiling. We did not speak and neither of us made to break the silence. I was simply a presence for her weighted thoughts to settle around. The sun made a heroic effort to get through the clouds as a knock sounded on the bedroom door. I opened my mouth to speak but Nicole beat me to it.

“Come in, Rachel.” Her voice sounded tired and I looked at her as she slowly sat against the headboard. Her broken leg jutted out at an angle. I made to rise, but Nicole pressed her hand down on my shoulder. I glanced at her.

“Thank you” She said as Rachel carefully handed her a cup of coffee.

“What for?” I asked. She looked at me.

“For staying. Not many people, besides you two, would have.” She said glancing at Rachel, who shrugged.

“Well, when you see a good person struggling with bad stuff, you can’t just leave. Not when you know what bad stuff they’re struggling with.” Nicole smiled at her, squeezing her leg.

“How’s your leg?” I asked. She smirked.

“Very broken. I have no idea how long it’s gonna take to heal.” I sighed. I stood, walking over to the other side of the bed, and crouched, examining the wound. I looked at the sheriff.

“Do you mind if I try and make this a bit more secure? I think it’ll help the pain.” Rachel shrugged.

“We threw that on her as an emergency, anything you got is probably better.” I nodded.

“Did you guys happen to see where the bag I had went?” I asked. Rachel nodded.

“We left the bag in the front hall, and the weapons and ammo are in the safe. Where did you get all of that?” I smiled.

“Black Badge. Their armory is impressive.” Nicole hummed into her cup. I walked out of the room, grabbing the bag off the floor. I had nothing to brace her leg with, but we could at least rewrap the wound. I strolled back into the bedroom and crouched next to Nicole.

“So, before I left the safehouse, I grabbed as many medical things as I could. I didn’t grab anything to splint with, but I grabbed tons of peroxide, so it’ll be clean at least.” I said, pulling the peroxide and bandages out. She glanced at Rachel.

“This is gonna sting, isn’t it?” She asked matter factly. I nodded. No sense in lying.

“Probably.” I affirmed. She sighed, putting the coffee cup down, and gripping the edge of the bed. I pulled the planks away from her leg, and carefully unwrapped the crude dressing. In all fairness, Rachel had done a fairly good job at keeping the bones straight. But the big gash was what I was worried about. If it got infected, then there was no point to the rest of it. I looked at the gash. It wasn’t wide, just deep. I picked up a bottle of peroxide and punctured the seal. I looked at Nicole.

“Brace yourself.” I said. I decided to just get it over with, and quickly poured a generous amount down the length of her leg. She yelped, jerking her foot. Rachel grabbed her shoulders.

“You’re almost done, deep breath.” Rachel said in Nicole’s ear. I watched as the peroxide bubbled and fizzed, killing the bacteria. I held up one finger, and quickly dashed into the bathroom, grabbing a towel, and returned. I lightly dabbed the peroxide, wiping the dried blood off Nicole’s leg. I repeated the process twice, each time, Nicole yelled.

_You’re leg is ok, it’ll heal._

I chanted this in my head as I pressed the towel to her leg. I didn’t want her to suffer and I knew what it meant to her to be sheriff, but not be able to walk. I sighed, draining the rest of the bottle. Nicole had grabbed Rachel’s hand and was whimpering. I looked at her.

“Ok, that’s the end of the peroxide. Now we just need to dress it. I have sterile bandages.” She nodded, gulping a breath of air. I grabbed all the first aid kits and pulled all the rolls of bandages out of them. I hoped we would only need one roll, as I didn’t know how long until I could get more. I quickly, but firmly wrapped the entire roll of bandage around her leg, making sure it was thickest over the gash and along the break. After everything was wrapped, I stood. Rachel examined her leg.

“That’s better then I could do.” I shrugged.

“Actually, if it weren’t for your work, she might have lost that leg.” I said bluntly. Rachel’s eyes widened. Nicole clapped her on the shoulder.

“Thanks for keeping me in one piece kid.” Rachel stood, picking up the wooden pieces.

“We still have to splint it.” She said. Nicole dropped her head back groaning.

“Do we have to?” I laughed. Rachel nodded, crouching. I suddenly had an idea. I put my hand on Rachel’s shoulder.

“Wait, hold on. Maybe we don’t have to use those. Nicole, do you know if the home stead has any burlap sacks?” I asked. The tall ginger lifted her head to look at me.

“In the barn maybe? Just head out the door, it’s off to your left.” I nodded, exiting the room. I had seen Judd and Nancy use this method of using burlap, which was relatively ridged as a sort of binding. It didn’t restrict all movement, but it made it hard enough so that you didn’t want to move. They used to pour wax on it. The outside would become tough, and, as a bonus, waterproof. I walked over to the barn, pulling the door open. I coughed at the dust that flew, and I waved my hand to clear the air. I immediately saw a burlap sack and emptied it of whatever was inside. Then I walked back into the house. I ripped the burlap into straps and walked back into Nicole’s room. Nicole and Rachel were discussing the work to be done today.

“-and then we’ll hit the sheriff’s office, I need to talk to Nedley.” Nicole was saying. I walked back over to Nicole’s leg and crouched.

“What’s that for?” Rachel asked. Without looking up from what I was doing, I responded.

“My foster parents used to use burlap whenever anyone would get an injury. I used to walk around covered in the stuff.” I said. Rachel snorted.

“Why? Accident prone?” She said teasingly. Nicole lightly slapped the back of her head.

“Rachel.” Rachel looked at her indignantly.

“What?! She brought it up!” She said, defensively. Nicole sighed.

“My foster dad wasn’t a great guy. Mean drunk, bad temper. He used to take it out on me.” I responded shortly, avoiding their gaze. I could feel Nicole’s gaze soften. I continued wrapping the burlap around Nicole’s leg until I was finished. I sealed it with wax and stood, looking at the wall. Rachel looked at me.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-“I shook my head. “It’s ok, it was a while ago.” I lied, trying to move on. She sighed looking back at the sheriff.

“Alright, boss. Time to get on with the day, lazy bones. Let’s go.” She said, picking up a black cane from the floor and holding it out for Nicole. Nicole didn’t take it but made to stand. Rachel stepped in front of her silently.

“Nicole.” She said softly. Nicole’s eyes burned into Rachel’s.

“Just until you can bear weight.” I offered, trying to diffuse the tension. Nicole looked at me. I could see the rising panic in her eyes. I sat down next to her.

“This doesn’t make you any less of a fighter. You are not weaker for having to use this cane.” I said. She sighed, finally relenting, and taking the cane out of Rachel’s hand. She stood slowly; her teeth gritted in pain. I stood too.

“You guys mind if I join you? If not that’s ok, I’ll just- “Nicole looked at me sharply.

“Of course, you’re coming with us. You think you have a choice.” I was taken back but her tone. She sounded like a mother. I opened my mouth to respond, but Rachel stopped me.

“No sense in arguing. You were stuck with us, the minute you walked into that room at the safehouse. Welcome to Chez Valdez.” She said, making a sweeping motion with her arm, and following the sheriff out of the room. As they left, I smiled. They wanted me around. The smile faltered as I remembered the person I had lost when I got here. Lily, I will find you. I swear.


	8. Telling Rachel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie finally tells Rachel who she is. They struggle with how to tell Nicole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was gonna be all part of 7, but I decided, that this needed to be it's own chapter, because of how heavy a chapter it is. 7 was more of a filler chapter anyway, just a way to connect 6 with 8.   
> Enjoy.

Driving around Purgatory was an experience I never thought I would have, mainly because nobody in Monument would ever dream about venturing into a town as haunted and destroyed. The town, from the stories I had heard, used to be a pretty bustling town. Wyatt Earp kept criminals away from the center, and mostly everyone liked everyone. Nowadays, it seemed the spirit had drained from the town. The town folk walked around with the shadow of reality permanently tattooed under their eyes. We rolled up to our first stop, the store. Rachel hoped out, collected a list from Nicole and walked in. Now, we were alone in the car.

“How long have you been sheriff?” I asked. Nicole didn’t look at me.

“It’s a pretty recent promotion, about 6 months, so far.” She responded. I nodded, though she didn’t see me.

“Do you like being a cop? What made you want to go into law enforcement” I asked, unable to stop myself. She sighed before answering. 

“My folks. They were…lacking as parents. Hated cops. Didn’t trust them. But, when I was young, I went to a festival with my aunt and uncle, and- “I gasped, remembering the rest of the story.

“The Purgatory Fire! 20 years ago! I remember hearing stories about it. You were there?!” Before she could answer, Rachel returned with two bags and pulled open the back-seat door, placing them on the floor in front of my feet. Nicole fell silent, and I sensed that was the end of story time. My head spun. I still had no idea how to get back to my reality, or why I was back 15 years to begin with. Rachel hoped into the driver’s seat and turned on the jeep. 

“Let’s see how the road to the hospital it’s is today, maybe been cleared.” Rachel suggested to Nicole’s nod. We pulled away from the store and pulled onto the road. As we passed the hospital, Rachel sighed as we took in the sight of the road. It was destroyed. The asphalt was broken, and lying-in heaps strewn across the road. Rachel glanced at Nicole.   
“Maybe tomorrow.” She said. Nicole’s gaze seemed to linger on the road, and I wondered why, until I realized the truth. Waverly. Nicole was hoping she’d show at the hospital. My heart broke at the realization. Nicole cleared her throat, blinking the tears away.

“Maybe tomorrow.” She stuttered out, trying to infuse the sentence with hope. From my spot in the back seat, I could see the crushing weight of reality, sink the noble officer’s shoulders. We drove on, pulling up to the sheriffs’ office. This time, we all got out of the car. Nicole snagged the black cane from the floor and stepped out. We slowly walked into the sheriff’s office. The front desk clerk looked up.

“Sheriff Haught!” Nicole smiled, it not quite reaching her eyes. 

“Is Sheriff Nedley here?” She asked. The officer shook her head, her eyes clouded in sadness.

“No, unfortunately, no one has seen Sheriff Nedley in two days. He’s not picking up our calls.” The weight that settled on Nicole seemed to threaten her very integrity, and her head dropped slightly. Rachel looked at the clerk.

“Do you know the last place he was seen?” The clerk looked at her and shrugged.

“Last that was known, was that he was with Wynonna Earp.” I glanced at Rachel. This news was going from bad to worse. Nedley hadn’t been seen in two days, and the last person that would know where he was walked into a portal and vanished. We thanked the officer and returned to the car. Rachel looked at Nicole.

“Where to?” Nicole stared straight out.

“Home.” She answered in a voice that seemed devoid of all life. I could tell she was quickly losing any fight that she still had. We drove back to the homestead and as we settled into the living room, Rachel picked up a crossbow.

“Where should we start searching today?” Nicole looked up, a harsh light bouncing off her drawn features.

“We aren’t searching today. “Rachel looked taken aback. 

“But, what if- “Nicole glared at her. 

“What if what, Rachel! What’s the point?!” She bellowed, the pain making her voice crack. Rachel looked at me, her face twisting in anger.

“I’ll go do the search by myself today, give you a day to rest, I guess.” She said, storming from the room. Nicole sighed at her exit. I sat down next her.

“Don’t give up hope, ok. I know right now it seems hopeless, but just don’t give up. You’re Nicole Haught.” I finished, hoping it would pick up her spirits. She gazed at me.

“I’m not. I just.. feel stuck. My girlfriend was taken into some portal, and then my best friend went in after her. I can’t find the only other person that could help, and on top of all that, I have a busted leg. I just, I’m not used to being useless.” I looked at her then looked at the door that Rachel had just stormed from. Nicole followed my gaze and sighed.  
“Shit. She didn’t deserve that.” I stood, walking over to the safe and looking back at Nicole.

“I’ll go search with her. What’s the combo?” She told me the combo, and I pulled the rifle that I had stolen from the safehouse and strapped it across my shoulder. I pocketed a box of ammo, and turned to face the sheriff.

“Put on the vest.” She said pointing to a black bulletproof vest that hung at the back of the safe. I silently obliged, though I didn’t see the point. Nicole wanted to feel like she was taking care of us. I closed the safe.

“Our search was meant to stretch from the south side of the woods to the south edge of the town line. Don’t walk over the town line, just along it. Bring the extra vest and make sure she wears it. She always says she’ll be fine, but I don’t trust this town, or it’s monsters. She’s just a kid, still.” I nodded, grabbing the extra vest, and following Rachel out the door. 

Rachel had just gotten to the tree line when I jogged up to her. She glanced back at me, as I jogged up to her.

“Great, she sent you to babysit.” She huffed. I shook my head, handing her the black vest. She rolled her eyes, setting the crossbow down on the ground and putting the vest on.  
“No, I just can’t sit and do nothing.” I offered in response. She huffed again. I fell silent, sensing that silence is what was needed at the moment as we started off along the tree line. We walked in silence for a few minutes before Rachel spoke.

“Is she pissed at me?” I shook my head.

“I don’t think so. I think she’s frustrated. She feels useless.” Rachel glanced at me.

“She’s not useless. If it weren’t for her and Wynonna, I’d still be in that safehouse, hiding from those things.” I nodded. I considered my next response carefully. I didn’t know how Rachel would react when I told her who I was, but with the fragile state that Nicole was in, I reasoned that my best option would be to tell Rachel first. I cleared my throat. 

“Uh, Rachel, I uh, have something to tell you.” I started, swallowing the nerves that threatened to take hold of me. She looked at me, her dark eyes, burning into my head.

“I don’t really know how to say this, but I, um, I’m not from around here.” She looked at me as we stepped over a large fallen tree. 

“Yeah, I know, you said you’d always been in Monument. You’re a foster. Sorry about that thing this morning, by the way, I spoke without thinking.” I shook my head, desperately trying to hold on to my nerve. 

“It’s fine, no, what I mean is, I’m not from this time.” I finally blurted out. She stopped walking, freezing where she stood. I walked a few steps before daring to look at her. Her face was a perfect mask, I couldn’t tell what she was thinking.

“What do you mean?” She asked calmly. I took a large, calming breath, feeling my head spin in panic. I readjusted the gun on my chest.

“Well, for starters my birthdate is June 20th, 2020.” I bluntly stated. Rachel took a step toward me.

“That’s not possible, it’s January.” I nodded as she got to me. We stood in the middle of the woods now. We had been walking for about 15 minutes. I looked at her from under my eyelashes. 

“Explain. Right now. So, I can decide if you need to die, demon.” She said suddenly swinging the crossbow and aiming it at me. I raised both hands quickly, and took a step back.

Wait! Ok, so, my name is Katie Taylor. I live in Monument with my foster parents, who suck, Judd and Nancy, and yesterday, my best friend, Lily, and I had to get away from my drunk foster dad, so we ran all the way to the safehouse, but we got attacked by the zombies, so she shoved me through a portal, and it took me all the way 15 years in the past!” I spluttered out as quick as I could. My chest heaved with my lack of breath. She glared at me but didn’t lower the crossbow. 

“How do I know you’re not lying?” She hissed. I shrugged; I had no actual proof.

“Why would I lie about that of all things. What would that do for me? Look, all I want is to get back to my best friend, a girl I think I may be in love with. But I don’t know how I got here to begin with.” I said, trying to infuse the moment with a bit of level-headedness. Rachel lowered the crossbow, sighing heavily, and rubbed the back of her head with her hand.

“Shit. What do we tell Nicole?” I sighed in relief and dropped my hands to my side.

“I don’t know, but I need you to keep it to yourself until I figure out what’s going on.” She snapped her head around to look at me.

“You mean lie?” I shook my head.

“No, I just, I don’t know what her reaction will be, and I don’t want to add to her already heavy thoughts. She doesn’t need to bear this weight. Not yet. This is my weight to bear right now.” She nodded as we continued through the woods. We walked for about 15 more minutes, till we broke through the trees to the road. About 200 feet up, stood a sign, proudly announcing that you had gotten to Purgatory. I glanced at Rachel, hesitantly. 

“Um, so before I left, Nicole told me we weren’t allowed to cross the town line. Why?” I asked. She stepped toward it.

“The Ghost River Triangle, that’s where Purgatory is located, is kind of a prison, or sorts.” She responded.

“A prison for what?” I asked. She looked at me.

“Monsters, demons, revenants. You name it.” She said as we got to the line. We were stood just behind the sign, maybe a pace or two.  
“So what happens if we cross?” She looked at me.

“We don’t know. But it could open the border, and all sorts of shit could get out. We don’t want to unleash demons in the city. We also don’t want to let anything in..” She stated matter of factly. I took her at her word. I was already in a different timeline; I didn’t need to open some prison too. We turned, walking along the boundary of the line. After about 10 minutes, we turned, heading back the way we came, toward the homestead. Rachel looked at me.

“Hey, sorry, for, you know, threatening you.” She said, gesturing to the crossbow. I shrugged. It had been exactly the response I was expecting. 

“It’s ok. I was expecting it, to be honest.” I responded. 

“Why tell me?” She asked. I shrugged again.

“I don’t know really. I just, needed to tell someone. Nicole is struggling. You seem ok. So, I figured you were my best option.” I responded. She looked at me.

“What I don’t get is, how you got here. You said you’re girl-, uh, friend, shoved you through a portal?” I nodded, noting the stuttered word. 

“Yeah, we had heard stories of the day Wynonna Earp went through to save Waverly, and we thought we’d be able to escape if we went through. “Rachel nodded.

“But as far as I know, the portal that BBD made, wasn’t supposed to send anyone through time, it was just supposed to get to the Garden.” I nodded.

“So, the question is, what happen in the 15 years between Wynonna going through and my going through that changed it?” I finished, looking at her. She nodded. We had gotten back to the area outside the homestead. 

“Hey, I have a question. Why would anyone want to go to the Garden? It sounds like a horrible place.” I asked Rachel. She shrugged. Nicole’s voice suddenly sounded behind us.

“What makes you think, anyone wanted to get there?” we spun quickly, coming face to face with the tall ginger as she leaned on her cane. 

“Nicole, shit, you scared us. Why are you up, you’re supposed to be in the house.” Rachel admonished. Nicole looked at us.

“Find anything?” We shook our heads. She sighed, turning back toward the house.

“Come on, it’s getting late, time to settle in for the night.” She said. We glanced at each other, but silently filed into the house behind her.

That evening, as we settled around the table after dinner, Nicole stood.

“Ok, Katie, I think it’s time you knew.” She said, looking at Rachel. Rachel glanced at me.

“Knew what?” I asked. Nicole took a deep breath.

“Everything.”


	9. Dazed and Restored

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole has a tough time with Katie's big news. They make an astonishing discovery one night that changes everything.

The sun was slowly ascending into the sky by the time Nicole had finished. She sat with a heavy sigh and deep silence fell as the three of us sat and looked at each other. Two kids and one exhausted sheriff. Rachel, at some point, had gotten up to make coffee. No point in sleep now. She slid Nicole’s second mug of coffee to her and resumed her seat. The silence stretched like silly putty, nearly to breaking but resisting still. Nicole’s calm stare warmed the side of my head. I opened my mouth, intending to speak but finding no way to respond to all that I heard. The truth was the story that Nicole had just told was not news to me. I had heard bits of the same story throughout my childhood.

“You don’t seem very surprised.” Nicole finally said. A warm surge of blush went up my neck. I cold feel Rachel’s eye dance from me to Nicole. A question sat in the air. I swallowed hard. Nicole continued.

“In fact, I have a feeling you knew what I was going to say.” Her voice had a lilt that implied more than what was said. Her voice gained an edge of weariness. She didn’t trust me. I glanced at the sheriff.

“I kind of did.” I responded slowly. Rachel’s breath caught in her throat at my admission. Nicole took a long sip of coffee. Her voice remained level.

“How.” It wasn’t a question. It was a request. I took a deep breath. Now, was as good a time as any.

“It was in my history textbook.” I said. Nicole’s eyebrows raised. I locked eyes with the sheriff.

“You’re telling me that an event that just happened is in a history textbook?” Nicole asked, interlacing her fingers on the table. I glanced at Rachel. I closed my eyes and calmed my racing pulse. Say it Katie, just spit it out.

“It will be. 15 years from now. In 15 years, Ill be 15 and know the story of Wynonna Earp and the day she saved The Angel.” I finally said, proud of how level my voice had stayed. Nicole stood suddenly, gripping the table for support. Rachel stood as well, probably out of reflex. Nicole’s eye burned with something I had never associated her with: fear. She was scared of me. She hurriedly snatched the cane, and stormed out of the house, through the back door. I stood to follow but caught Rachel’s eye as she shook her head silently. I sighed. That had not gone well. I dropped my head, leaving the kitchen at a slow drag, eventually closing the door to my room, and dejectedly sitting on my bed. I grabbed the backpack off the floor and rummaged through it until I landed on the medical journal. I pulled it out and began to write. I wrote for hours and by the time I had cleared out all the thoughts I my head, I had filled 7 pages. Feeling very much like I had just had a good long cry, I dropped the journal on the floor, flipped onto my back and closed my eyes, cherishing the dark that greeted me.

When I opened my eyes again, it was pitch black. I laid still for moments, allowing my eyes to adjust to the dark, so I could see. I had slept an entire day. I sat up, my brain a bit confused because of the lack of light. My brain saw dark, and wanted to go back to sleep, but my energy had been replenished, and I couldn’t sleep if I tried. After feeling the emptiness of my stomach, I figured a snack would help, so I stood from the bed, slowly creeping into the hall. I rounded the corner and nearly had a heart attack when I noticed a figure standing in front of the coffee. Long ginger hair. It was Nicole. I debated leaving, as she hadn’t heard me yet, but lost the nerve as her voice reached my ears.

“We can’t sleep, so you might as well sit down and join me.” She said. I read the voice trying to detect malice. She twisted, leaning against the counter, and looked at me.

“Nicole, I…” She cut me off.

“So, you’re a time travelling demon, that’s a fun, new sort of hell.” I shook my head.

“I’m not a demon.” I responded quickly, sliding into the chair I had occupied earlier. She stood from the counter, and walked over, pulling the chair out.

“But you are a time traveler?” She questioned back. I shrugged, unable to answer her.

“No, I’m just a kid, trying to find a way back to her time. I have no idea how I got here; I don’t remember anything after the portal.” Nicole’s eyes suddenly rested on me.

“What portal?” She asked. 

“At the safehouse.” She blinked several times quickly. 

“The only portal in the safehouse was the one Wynonna went through. You mean to tell me there was another portal?” I shook my head, trying to keep the officer from spiraling. 

“All I remember was being shoved through a portal by my best friend Lily. I landed here, 15 years in the past. It could be a second portal, or it could be the same portal. I don’t know.” I sighed. At least she hadn’t stormed away from me this time. I leaned back in my chair and glanced down at my feet. Nicole rose, striding over to the coffee pot. I glanced at her. I raised my eyebrows in confusion.

“Nicole, where’s your cane?” I asked casually, scanning the kitchen in search of it. She looked at me, then at her leg. She shrugged.

“Must have left it in my room.” She responded. My eyes were glue to her leg. I rose carefully. 

“You’re not in pain?” I asked calmly, stepping slowly toward her. She shook her head. Suddenly we locked eyes. She bent quickly pulling the pant leg of her left leg up. A cold rush of panic went up my spine as we looked at her leg. It was still wrapped in my homemade cast of burlap and wax. I crouched as footsteps sounded behind me and Rachel’s voice reached my ears. 

“It’s the middle of the night you guys-“As she had been speaking, I had begun unwrapping the burlap from Nicole’s leg. It hit the floor as I pulled it away. Rachels voice faded as we looked at Nicole’s shin.

“What in the hell?” I twisted to look at Rachel.

“It’s gone!” She was right. The big gash that had dominated Nicole’s leg had completely vanished. Like it had never existed.


	10. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole, Rachel and Katie fight their way through a confusing series of events. Katie begins to piece together who she is.

I huffed as Rachel and I followed Nicole as she ran from the kitchen. 

"Nicole, wait!" Rachel bellowed after the sheriff. She didn't stop. We had no idea where she was going, but we knew that we had to stay with her. We followed her as she tore into the trees, nimbly avoiding fallen trees and leaping over stumps. Damn she was quick! We ran for what felt like an eternity until we burst into a clearing, nearly bowling the officer over as she stopped abruptly. Rachel dropped the crossbow she had been carrying and sagged against a tree, exhausted.

"What the hell, Nicole?!" She spat breathlessly. I too, sat on a stump trying to catch my breath. I kept my eyes on the officer who stood in the middle of the clearing, breathing hard. She looked down at her leg, bending to feel it with her hand. Rachel looked at me.

"I don't understand. How does a person, with her leg broken in three spots, wake up one day fine?!" She asked, her voice echoing off the trees. I shrugged, unable to give an answer. A pit was beginning to form in my stomach. This was just like the bullet wound at the safehouse. The common denominator in both of those events: Me. Nicole spun to face us.

"It's a miracle." She said, quietly. Rachel stood and huffed.

"A miracle? Here, in Purgatory?" Nicole's eye landed on the teen. Rachel shrugged and sat on a stump, falling quiet. Nicole's eyes flickered to me. They appraised me for a second before she spoke.

"This sort of thing has happened before, right Katie?" My heart jumped erratically in panic. I stuttered, unsure of what to say. I had no idea if being in this time and interacting with people that I would have otherwise never met, would affect anything.

"Um, yeah, I guess. The Earp Angel-" Nicole cut me off.

"Her name is Waverly." I looked at her. Her eye glimmered with sorrow and determination. She wanted Waverly to stay Waverly. She wanted to keep her as real as possible. I understood. But as someone who had only heard about the Earps in a textbook, it was difficult to humanize a legend. 

"Waverly, right. Sorry. We learned that besides the Earp Curse, which the Earp Heir has the sole burden of breaking, Waverly, who is commonly referred to as the Earp Angel, at least in the book, discovers she has the ability that her father, the Angel Julian passed on to her, which is to restore life, and heal." I finished, to Nicole's nod. This was a weird feeling, reciting textbook information to a person in it. Rachel looked at me.

"But Waverly's not here, so what gives?" I gulped, suddenly terrified of what I had to say. I cleared my throat, watching as Nicole turned to face the trees.

"Actually...it has happened...uh...more recently." I muttered quietly. Rachel looked at me. 

"Really, when?" I looked at her, taking a breath. 

"Well, technically, it wasn't recent. In fact, it won't happen for 15 years, but, I mean..." Nicole looked at me.

"Out with it, Katie!" She snapped. 

"Me! It happened to me!" I blurted out. Nicole strolled over to me, seizing the front of my shirt and shoving me against a tree. Rachel stood quickly, holding her hands out in front of her.

"Woah, Nicole, take it easy, she just a kid." Nicole's deep brown eyes bore into my green eyes. Nicole glanced behind her.

"Rachel, you're a kid, and I knocked you out with the butt of my rifle, remember?" She said harshly. Her gaze returned to mine. I fought the fight of flight instinct, and kept my gaze level. Don't panic, Katie. Just remain calm. Nicole pushed her fist into my chest, where it was wrapped in my shirt. Ow.

"Talk, fast." I took a deep breath, keeping my hands next to my ears. 

"Ok, before I fell through the portal, I got shot by my foster dad. We made it to the safehouse, and at one point, I grabbed my shoulder, that's where I got hit, and just kind of..." Nicole, wasn't patient.

"What?!" She said, increasing the pressure on my chest. 

"Just kind of told myself that I was ok, and then...I was." I finished anti-climactically. Nicole's eye stayed on mine. Rachel approached, placing her hand on the officers arm.

"Let go, it won't help us or Waverly if you hurt her." She said calmly. Something about the soft tone broke through the officers anger. Her eyes lost their furious fire, and the muscles in her arm relaxed. She let go. I stayed where I was as Rachel lightly pulled the officer away. I took a deep breath. Nicole sat on the stump that Rachel had been sitting on. The fight was all gone from her shoulders. Rachel stood between us, I guessed, in case the officer wanted to go another round. She looked at me, her eyes adopting a very solemn look.

"Katie, I know this is a lot, but you need to explain. As much as you can." I nodded.

"Well, Lily and I had just gotten to the safehouse. I had been shot, and we were attempting to find the safehouse's medical clinic. We never did, because we had a run in with those things, the scientists. I don't know really what happened, all I know is I wanted nothing more than to be ok. It was almost like a wish. I never wanted anything more, ever." I said, looking at Nicole. She looked up and stood, taking a step toward me. Rachel turned, facing her. I took a hesitant step back. Rachel didn't move. 

"It was you?" She asked. I shrugged. 

"I don't know." I really didn't know if the bullet wound had vanished because of me. Rachel looked at me.

"Are you sure you were hit?" I nodded. That was one thing I did know for sure.

"Yes." I answered. Nicole looked at me. Rachel looked at Nicole.

"Did Waverly ever...?" Nicole sighed, turning away and sitting on the stump. 

"Yes. As far as I know, she didn't know that she could, but she brought Julian back to life, and healed Mercedes face after the Widows." My head began to spin. Rachel looked at me.

"So how did you do it?" I shrugged, more confused than I had started. From what the book had said, the Earp Angel gained the ability of life restoration and healing from the Angel Julian. The book had said that historians believed that the only way for the Earp Angel to have the abilities were from her father. It was something passed through the bloodline of the angels. Nicole suddenly looked at me. I took another step back, fearing that she was gonna grab for my throat again. She stood. Rachel remained where she was, but Nicole stepped around her. 

"Nicole..." Rachel said in warning. The ginger ignored her. She walked slowly up to me, her eyes never leaving my face. As she stepped up to me, her eyes softened. Her face split into a grin as she looked at Rachel.

"What the hell, Nicole?" Nicole glanced at me.

"Show some respect Rachel." Rachel huffed. 

"Why?" Rachel asked. Nicole gazed at me, her eyes soft. 

"We're in the presence of an angel." My mouth dropped open.

"What?!" 


	11. Teen Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been two months since Katie learned she was an angel. Purgatory gets a new sheriff. Katie gets a big clue about her parents.

I sighed as I walked toward the general store. Nicole had sent me and Rachel to do errands while she did trap checks. Two months had gone by and I was still no closer to finding Lily. The ache that permeated my chest at the thought of her, seemed to reside there permanently. It had become normal. Nicole, who at the renewed use of both of her legs, had tossed herself entirely into protecting the homestead, going so far as to set nearly 20 traps in a large circle around the place. She had gotten very good at it. I pulled open the door of the store and stepped in, pulling the list out of my pocket. Nicole had only written two things: bread and almond milk. I walked over to the bread and gazed at the selection. Suddenly, somebody ran into me, shoving past me up the aisle. I spun, ready to give them a piece of my mind, until I noticed the white Stetson and the gold nameplate on their shirt.

"Watch where you're going, asshole!" I elected to mutter under my breath. The big guy turned around. His piercing blue eyes landed on me.

"Excuse me? You have any idea who-" The big guy was cut off as a store employee walked up behind him.

"Sheriff Clayborn, what can I do for you today?" Sheriff? I watched the employee wring his hands as the sheriff glared at me. 

"Nothing. I was just leaving." He huffed, and stomped down the aisle. As I watched him go, the employee looked at me with wonder.

"Sheesh, you better watch it around the sheriff, seems to be in a rotten mood today." I looked at him.

"Purgatory doesn't have a sheriff." The employee gazed at me as if I had declared that the tooth fairy existed.

"Well, it does now." He responded. He walked away and I watched him go. Who the hell was Clayborn?

I raced home with my one solitary item, I hadn't been able to find almond milk, and burst into the house.

"Nicole? Rachel? We have a problem!" I hollered. Rachel walked into the room.

"What problem?" I looked at her. 

"Where's Nicole?" I asked, this was really something she needed to hear. As if she heard me, the door opened behind me, and the tall ginger stepped in, shaking snow off her jacket and stomping her boots on the door mat. I spun around. She looked at my face, her eyes instantly growing serious.

"What happen?" I sighed.

"I just met the sheriff." She looked at me, confused. She set her gun down and stripped out of her jacket. 

"I'm the sheriff." She answered. I shook my head, shrugging, 

"Not anymore." I said. The ginger's eyes grew dark. Uh, oh. Nicole turned, pulling open the entryway drawer, and pulling a pistol out of it. She slid the small gun into her waistband and yank the jacket off the door where she'd hung it, seconds ago. She pulled the door open and stormed out. I glanced at Rachel and we followed her out the door.

The drive to the sheriff's station was quiet, though it was the loudest silence you ever heard. We pulled up to the station and Nicole threw the jeep in park and hoped out without turning off the engine. Rachel killed the engine and we followed her. She approached the front desk. The clerk looked up.

"Ms. Haught, what can I do for you?" Nicole glanced at me, as the clerk addressed her. It was the same woman that had addressed her as sheriff. 

"I'd like to speak to the sheriff." Nicole responded in a voice that dripped with malice. The clerk glanced over her shoulder at the door to the sheriffs office.

"I'm sorry, Sheriff Clayborn isn't available at present, can I write him your message?" She asked. Nicole shook her head. 

"I didn't realize the position of sheriff had been vacated." Nicole said. The woman kept her gaze, much to my surprise.

"Ah, yes, well, since you had been injured and unable to return, the mayor decided that it would be in the best interest of Purgatory to fill the position as quickly as possible." The clerk finished. Nicole looked at her.

"I was under the impression that there had to be an election." The clerk shook her head.

"Extenuating circumstances." She finished shortly. Nicole huffed, and turned away. We were getting nowhere here. We all got back into the jeep and sat in silence. 

Bunny fucking Loblaw!" Nicole barked into the silence. Bunny Loblaw was arguably the most racist, homophobic person to ever walk into Purgatory. I had learned that one of the good sheriffs major hurdles when she was first promoted was to convince Loblaw to agree. Legend has it, Loblaw tried to get the Earp Heir to be sheriff, but after being kidnapped and driven to a revenant biker bar, she changed her tune, after Nicole and Wynonna saved her.

The frustration sparked off Nicole's shoulders as we got back to the homestead. Nicole walked upstairs in silence and the lest we heard for the night, was the slamming of a door. Rachel and I dropped into the couch in front of the fire. 

"The books don't mention Sheriff Clayborn. Only that the Sheriff disappeared for a while." I said. Rachel shrugged, and I grappled with a way to make this make sense. In my textbook, Sheriff Haught was always Sheriff. A nervous feeling entered my stomach. Things were changing in Purgatory, and I had a feeling, I had something to do with it.

That night, my dreams consisted of Lily screaming my name, a woman in white holding hand out to me and telling me not to be afraid, and Sheriff Clayborn's ugly mug glaring at me. My eyes snapped open. It was dark. I sat up in bed. 

"Katie." A whisper echoed through my room. What the hell, was that?

"Katie, come." The voice whispered again. It wasn't Nicole or Rachel, and it didn't sound like Lily. I scanned the room, desperately trying to pinpoint the location of the voice. The only clue was the light that highlighted the bottom of my door. Who was up? I stood, carefully, walking over to the door and pulling it open. The light poured in, flowing over my feet like water. It seemed to just be on the floor. I looked out. I saw no one.

"Katie, find me." The voice whispered urgingly. It had to be Lily. I walked down the hall, simply following my gut. Suddenly, it dawned on me. I was dreaming. Wow, lucid dreaming was a trip. A soft humming came from a room off to my left. I looked in, and noticed a figure sitting on a large blue couch. I stepped in, and the scenery morphed. I was in the sheriff's office. The figure had their back to me, a pair of huge, feathery wings protruding from them. Every once in a while, the wings would twitch. I stood and looked at the figure. The light was coming from them. It was a woman, dressed in a gown of white. Her back was to me, and her head was down, as if she were sleeping or reading. I walked further into the room. The figure didn't move but I no longer felt fear. As a stepped in front of her, she looked up. I gasped. It was me! The figure stood, and my mouth dropped open.

"Who are you?" I asked, stupidly. The woman smiled. The light grew brighter.'

"I am you. I am who you will become." She said, the words coming out like music notes. I gasped at words I couldn't find.

"So I AM an angel." I finally said. The woman nodded, holding out her hand.

"What you are, little one, is light. The purest, brightest form of light." I struggled at this. She was wrong, she had to be. Surely I wasn't a being of pure light not with everything I had gone through. As if I had said the words out loud, she shook her head.

"Our past does not change who we are at our core, Katie Taylor. You have always been light, and there is nothing in this time or the next that will ever change that." I gazed at her, mesmerized.

"Do you know who my parents are?" I asked. It was a longshot but I had to try. She stood from the couch, spinning to face me. Her wings expanded to their full length and my breath caught at the sight of her.

"You already know the answer to that, or I wouldn't be here." She said. She turned away and I stood quickly.

"Wait!" I opened my eyes. I laid still, breathing rapidly. I was in the homestead. I sat up sharply. I knew who my parents were and the truth terrified me. 


End file.
